Daniel 8

1In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me at the beginning.

2I saw in a vision, and as I looked I was in Susa in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; I saw in the vision, and I was by the Ulai River.

3I raised my eyes and saw—behold, one ram stood before the river with two horns, the two horns high, one higher than the other, the higher one rising last.

4I saw the ram goring westward, northward, and southward, and no beasts could stand before him, nor any rescuer from his hand, but he acted according to his pleasure and became great.

5As I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth without touching the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

6He approached the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and charged at him in the fury of his power.

7I saw him draw near to the ram, and he raged against him and struck the ram, shattering both his horns, but the ram had no strength to stand before him, so he hurled him to the ground and trampled him, and no one could rescue the ram from his power.

8The goat grew exceedingly great, but when he reached full strength the great horn broke, and four notable horns arose in its place toward the four winds of heaven.

9From one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.

10It grew great up to the host of heaven, and it threw some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, trampling them.

11It magnified itself even against the prince of the host, and from him it exalted and lifted up the continual, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

12The host, along with the continual, was given over to it because of transgression. It cast truth to the ground and prospered in what it did.

13I heard one holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that certain one speaking, "How long will the vision of the daily and the desolating transgression last, until the sanctuary and the host are given to trampling?"

14He said to me, "Until two thousand three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be cleansed."

15When I, Daniel, saw the vision, I sought understanding—and behold, one stood before me like a man in appearance.

16I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai calling, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

17He came near where I stood, and when he approached I was terrified and fell on my face. He said to me, "Understand, son of man, for the vision concerns the time of the end."

18While he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep on my face to the ground, but he touched me and set me upright.

19He said, "Behold, I will make known to you what will be in the latter part of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end."

20The ram you saw having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.

21The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

22As for the one that was broken, four stood up in its place; four kingdoms will arise out of the nation, but not with his power.

23At the end of their kingdom, when the rebels have come to completion, a fierce-faced king who understands riddles will arise.

24His strength shall become mighty, but not through his own power; he shall wreak wondrous destruction, succeed in what he does, and destroy the mighty ones and the holy nation.

25By his shrewdness he will make deceit thrive through his power, and in his heart he will exalt himself, and amid security he will destroy many; he will rise against the Prince of princes, but without human hand he will be shattered.

26The vision of the evening and the morning that was reported is certain, but you, conceal the vision, for it is for many days.

27I, Daniel, was overwhelmed and sick for days; then I arose and attended to the king's business, stunned at the vision, with no one to understand it.